ST. PETERS, Mo. — Joplin High School junior Nathan Wardlow earned honorable mention all-state honors by finishing 11th in the 100-yard backstroke at the MSHSAA Class 2 Boys Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.
Wardlow’s performance in the backstroke, where he recorded a time of 54.77 seconds, was Joplin’s lone all-state showing.
Wardlow finished 16th in the prelims of the backstroke (55.55) on Friday before moving up to 11th and swimming nearly a second faster in the consolation finals on Saturday.
The top eight finishers in each event are all-state performers, with places 9-16 earning honorable mention all-state recognition.
Wardlow just missed advancing to the consolation finals of the 500 freestyle, as he placed 17th in Friday’s prelims with a time of 4:58.
Joplin’s 200 medley relay team of Wardlow, Jackson Mordica, Parker Hinman and Ian Vermillion finished 23rd with a time of 1:47.
In the 400 freestyle relay, Joplin’s team of Wardlow, Vermillion, Isaiah Thom and Hinman placed 26th in 3:39.
The Eagles were 28th in the 200 freestyle relay, as Vermillion, Mordica, Jordan Goins and Thom recorded a time of 1:42.
Also, Hinman finished 25th in the 100 backstroke prelims with a time of 57.87 seconds.
The top four teams in Class 2 were Rockhurst (280), SLUH (272), Park Hill South (261) and Chaminade (206).
